Focus: Trade unions: fifteen years after the demise of Saddam's tyranny

Abstract

The GFITU / GFIW split The GFITU split away from the GFIW when its internal integrity was compromised by the government of Iraq at the end of 2011 / early 2012. The GFITU was subsequently admitted to the ITUC six years later as a full member on November / December 2017. The GFITU held its 3rd national election conference in central Baghdad 31 March 2018 in which 4 women out of 13 were elected to the Executive board. Ali Raheem was re-elected again as President of the GFITU. Representatives of the ITUC, ILO and Global Unions were present. The ITUC Global Rights Index 2018 rated Iraq as 4 – systematic violations of rights. Iraq National Polity Iraq held its 4th post-2003 National General Election on 12 May 2018. The incumbent Prime Minister assumed power immediately after Isis terrorist gangs overran and occupied one third of Iraq June 2014, due to the deep sectarian approach by former Iraqi Prime Minister Mr Al Maliki, and extreme national disunity among post-2003 ruling elites. The incumbent Prime Minister is an Islamist moderate working to establish a national political consensus to govern the country post General Election along non-sectarian lines; aiming to maintain and protect Iraq’s internationally recognised sovereign integrity, which has been – and still is – under constant threat from sectarianism and separatist tendencies within dominant ruling elites that have been working since 2003 to divide Iraq into 3 sectarian and nationalistic statelets. The incumbent Prime Minister is aiming to implement social and economic programmes that seek to improve the living standards of all Iraqis. Iraq is now witnessing a national trans-sectarian pro-Iraq grass roots mass social protest movement, that is organised and led for the last three years by the Iraqi Communist Party, al Sadr followers (the al Istiqhama National Party), liberals, and social democratic parties. These political forces formed an alliance to contest the 12 May national election. They called it SAAIRUN. The alliance manifesto states that its primary objective is the eradication of widespread corruption, an end to identity politics that have governed Iraq of post-2003, and the provision of basic services that have been in short supply since 2003 (i.e. clean water, electricity and healthcare, jobs, housing and education). It is worth noting that living standards for most Iraqis have regressed considerably post-2003. Many people have no access to clean drinking water. Children and elderly people are dying in huge numbers due to a lack of healthcare. Illiteracy across Iraq has increased considerably. Millions of children (girls and boys) are now doing child labour and not attending schools. Iraq’s incumbent Prime Minister has worked hard to secure a landslide election victory on 12th May in order to implement his programme and vision of a unified, democratic and peaceful Iraq (his words). He is leading an electoral coalition that is called Nasr (Victory) alliance. The Nasr electoral alliance, that is composed of various Iraqi communal and sectarian affiliations, was seen as the frontrunner to win the 12 May National Election, however it only came third with 42 seats. Iran-backed Shia strong militia leader and former Transport Minister Hadi al-Amiri’s Fateh (Conquest) Coalition was in second, while the surprising outcome of the election is that SAAIRUN came first, wining 54 parliamentary seats. The SAAIRUN victory come about as a result of a number of key factors, including that a large percentage of Iraqi voters boycotted the election, and that the majority of those who did vote, voted for real change. Over 200 MPs of total 329 lost their seats including that of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. The national election was marred by election irregularities and fraud. The UN latest report on Iraq cited election fraud but endorsed the results. Parliament held session in early June and passed a law mandating the manual recount of ballots across Iraq. The Law annulled votes cast by Iraqis living abroad and by the Internally displaced Iraqi refugees. To complicate the situation further, a storage site that held half of Baghdad’s ballots boxes was set on fire. The Prime Minister said “this is a plot to harm Iraq and its democracy”. It was a deliberate act...